You should finish each exercise with your vehicle in the exact position described by the examiner. You can be penalized for failing to complete an exercise exactly in the manner described by the examiner, potentially resulting in failure of the basic control skills test.

While students are boarding a school bus, the driver should supervise the loading while watching all mirrors for any students running to catch the bus.

During the pre-trip vehicle inspection test, you will be asked to indicate where the dipstick is located. You will need to show that the oil level is within a safe operating range and above the refill mark.

Properly adjusted crossover mirrors on a school bus should allow the driver to see the entire area in front of the bus, from the front bumper at ground level to a point where direct vision is possible. The mirrors should also display the right and left front tires touching the ground, as well as the area from the front of the bus to the service door.

You may be asked to complete a conventional parallel parking maneuver into a parking space that is to the right of your vehicle. You should drive past the parking space before backing into it while bringing the rear of your vehicle as close to the rear of the space as possible. Your vehicle should be completely within the boundaries of the space.

School bus drivers may only pick up students at official stops designated by authorized school officials.

When stopped at a railroad crossing while operating a school bus, do not rely only on signals to tell you if a train is approaching. You should silence all passengers, open the front door, and look and listen for trains. After a train has passed, you should check for another train approaching from either direction before you proceed across the tracks.

When exiting your vehicle during the basic vehicle control skills test, you must face the vehicle and maintain three points of contact at all times. If your testing vehicle is a bus, you must maintain contact with the handrail. Exiting the vehicle incorrectly may result in automatic failure of the basic vehicle control skills test.

You should always check the adjustment of all your mirrors before operating a school bus.

More students are killed each year during loading or unloading of school buses than while riding on school buses. Therefore, it is critical that school bus drivers follow appropriate safety procedures during loading and unloading.

When asked to make a turn during the on-road driving test, you must check traffic in all directions and use your turn signal.

When picking up passengers, a school bus driver should park with the vehicle's front bumper at least 10 feet away from the students. This is the safest parking option because it forces the students to walk to the bus, making it possible for the driver to watch their movements.

When stopping to load or unload students, a school bus should ideally be placed in park. If there is no park shift point, the bus should be placed in neutral and the parking brake should be set.

A driver is allowed to exit their vehicle to check its position during any basic vehicle control skills test exercise. This action is called a "look." During the straight line backing exercise, a driver may not exceed one look. During any other exercise, a driver may not exceed two looks.

On a school bus, the overhead inside rearview mirror is mounted directly above the windshield on the driver’s side of the bus. This mirror should be used to monitor students inside the bus.

If you are stopped at a railroad crossing and a gate fails to return to its open position after a train passes, call your dispatcher. Do not attempt to drive around the lowered gate.

The function of an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) is to prevent a vehicle's wheels from locking up when the driver brakes hard on a slippery surface.

The overhead inside rearview mirror in a school bus is used to monitor passenger activity inside the bus.

Backing in a school bus is strongly discouraged and should be done only if there is no other safe way to move the vehicle. If you must drive in reverse at a student pick-up point, you should wait until all students have first loaded the bus.

During the pre-trip vehicle inspection test, you will be asked to indicate where the power steering fluid dipstick or reservoir sight glass is located. You will need to show that the power steering fluid is within a safe operating range.